


A Few Years Older

by red_crate



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon Compliant, First Crush, Gen, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sterek Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-23 12:54:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12507900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_crate/pseuds/red_crate
Summary: “Nice meeting you.” Derek smiled at Stiles.A different first meeting.





	A Few Years Older

**Author's Note:**

> A few months ago, I was talking with Merrkkat about Stiles and Derek's first meeting. I was like "what if tiny!Stiles had a crush on tiny!Derek, but everything with the Hale fire still happened, and they got separated until season one started?" And she was like "YES!", and she drew [these amazing versions of kiddo!Stiles and Derek (and Peter and Chris)](https://merrkkat.tumblr.com/post/164615348464/kiddos-stiles-derek-peter-and-chris-fun). 
> 
> I finally got around to writing this for Sterek Week 2017 day 3: Meet-Cute.
> 
> Thanks to Tia for the read-through!

 

He was supposed to be doing homework. Instead, he was scratching in the little loops and circles on the words on his English worksheet. He didn’t feel like figuring out how to diagram compound sentences. When was he ever going to need to know that, anyway?

“I’m here for Laura Hale?” A voice caught Stiles’ attention.

When he looked up, he saw a teenaged boy with dark hair standing by the nurse station. He had a Rubbermaid container in one hand and a slightly annoyed look on his face.

Stiles sat up from where he’d been curled in on himself, sitting in one of the visitor chairs lining the hallway. He’d moved there from his mom’s room because he was scared he’d wake her up. She had so much trouble getting good sleep now. Stiles’ shoe squeaked across the linoleum floor when he pushed a heel down so he could sit up.

The boy looked over at him while the nurse made a phone call.

He was probably five or six years older than Stiles, a high schooler. Stiles felt his eyes go wide, and he gave an awkward little wave. The boy hesitated before nodding a ‘ _hello_.’ His eyes were striking.

“Hey, little brother.” Stiles recognized Laura, the girl who volunteered after school to bring snacks to family and friends of patients. She scooped the container out of her brother’s hand and kissed his cheek. “Score.”

Stiles readjusted his notebook on his lap before tapping his pencil against the side of it,  pretending to be engrossed in his work. He watched the two of them from under his lashes.

“Remember your food next time.” The boy grumbled before turning to leave.

 

 

“Stiles—” His dad tried calling him back.

He didn’t slam the door behind him but only because the hinge on the door wouldn’t allow it.

His mom’s shrieks echoed down the hall, following him.

“Whoa, hey.”

Stiles bumped into someone. His eyes were trained on the floor, not wanting anyone to see the tears and the snot he couldn’t seem to hold back. Two hands came up to his shoulders, pulling him close.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” She spoke softly, firmly.

Stiles wanted to believe her, but he could hear his mom in his head over and over. _Who are you? Please don’t kill me!_ He shook his head against whoever it was that was holding him. The arms tightened briefly before gently pushing him back.

It was Laura. Her tote bag of goodies was on the floor by her feet where she dropped it to hug him. Stiles sniffed and wiped at his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Sorry.” His voice cracked, and he swallowed around the lump in his throat.

She gave him a sad smile. “It’s okay.” Laura reached for her bag and rummaged inside for a second. She offered a small pack of tissues to him. “Here.”

Embarrassment crawled up inside Stiles. He shouldn’t have been crying. His mom didn’t mean what she said, he knew that. It was the disease in her brain taking away her memories and causing all kinds of scary thoughts to grow in their place. Laura didn’t need to be looking after him like he was some kid she babysat.

“Thanks. I need to go to the cafeteria. My dad needs dinner.” He tried stepping around her, but she was faster.

“I’ll go with you. It’s time for my break anyway.” She smiled brightly, friendly. “Do you mind if I keep you company?”

He knew his eyes were red, and his face was probably puffy. But she’d already seen him crying. Stiles nodded his head.

“Thanks. Derek is supposed to bring my food by after basketball practice, but he always takes forever.” She sighed good-naturedly. “It’s an excuse for him to stay out a little later, so he doesn’t usually complain _too_ much. This way, I don’t have to risk someone else eating my food in the break room.”  

Stiles couldn't help the smile that stretched across his mouth.

The cafeteria was almost completely empty when they get there. Going through the line took no time, and Stiles was able to use the cash his dad gave him to pay for the food. Instead of heading back to the room, he picked out a booth to share with Laura.

Derek, the boy Stiles saw last week, showed up just as they are about to sit down.

“I thought you were supposed to be on the third floor today?” He groused. He was wearing an open, blue zip-up hoodie over his basketball jersey.

Stiles slouched in his seat, chewing on his lip. Derek had stubble, and his hair was messy looking.

“Derek, this is…” Laura lead him into introducing himself.

“Stiles.” He supplied, blushing. He’d cried in front of her, and she didn’t even know his name. “I’m Stiles.”

She tugged Derek down to sit next to her, across from Stiles. “Right. Stiles, this is my little brother, Derek.”

Side-eyeing Laura, Derek said, “Hey.”

This was a disaster.

Stiles fiddled with the closure on the plastic to-go container.

After a beat, Laura suggested. “Hey, why don’t you go get us some pudding.”

Stiles and Derek both looked at her like she was crazy, but Derek didn’t complain when she handed a ten dollar bill to him.

“He’s kind of annoying, but he’s a good kid.” Laura confessed once Derek was gone. She took the lid off the food he had brought her. It was meatloaf with mashed potatoes. “Want some? My dad is a really good cook.” She offered him her fork.

“What about the pudding?” Stiles asked.

She grinned at him. “Right. Wouldn’t want to ruin your appetite with meatloaf.”

Stiles laughed a little.

“Chocolate or Oreo?” Derek had three pudding parfaits in his hands when he came back. Two chocolate and one Oreo.

Stiles took one of the chocolates, even though he wanted the Oreo. The cellophane of the spoon’s wrapper crinkled when he opened it. Derek and Laura shoved at each other playfully across from him while he took his first bite.

“Thanks.” Stiles said. The sugar burst bright across his tongue.

He watched Derek scarf down his parfait. Whipped cream smeared on his upper lip, and Derek licked it off.

Stiles’ stomach felt a little weird.

Laura’s break was twenty minutes. Once it was over, they got up to go. Derek took the trash before Stiles had a chance to offer.

“Nice meeting you.” Derek smiled at Stiles.

 

 

His dad was almost a half hour late, and Stiles was starting to get anxious. He chewed on the string from his hoodie, feet squirming on the step below him. The sun was starting to set. He noticed when a car pulled into the visitor parking lot, but it wasn’t the cruiser.

Hunching over to keep the cold out, he watched the car park. No one got out for a few minutes; no other cars came into the parking lot either. Someone got out of the passenger side of the car and jogged towards where Stiles was sitting on the steps outside the hospital.

It was Derek.

“Stiles?” He seemed to speak before he realized he was stopping. Derek gave him a confused look.

His mouth was really pink, and his shirt looked a little rumpled.

Stiles spat the string from his own mouth. “Yup. In the flesh.” He grimaced.

Derek looked at the hospital and back at the car he’d arrived in, before looking at Stiles again. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”

He shrugged. “My dad is coming to pick me up.” Thankfully, as he spoke, his dad’s cruiser came into view. “See?” He pointed.

“Okay.” Derek nodded, still seeming a little unsure about Stiles sitting alone outside the hospital. He hesitated but took a step closer. “Here.”

Stiles had stood up and was hitching his backpack onto a shoulder when Derek handed him a pack of Reeses.

“They’re supposed to be for Laura, but you can have them. She’s been a jerk lately.” Derek smiled.

“Oh. Thanks.” Stiles stared at the small orange package, smile playing on his lips.

He jumped when his dad called for him through the open passenger side window.

 

 

The basketball game had already started when Stiles walked into the high school gym. He was supposed to be spending the night at Scott’s because his dad was working third shift tonight, but Scott was at his dad’s. Once Melissa got distracted watching _Will & Grace _, Stiles had snuck out of the house and biked to Beacon Hills High.

Derek was easy to spot on the court. Broad shoulders, dark hair. He was caught up in the game, expression serious as he passed the ball to one of his teammates.

Stiles found a seat on the bleachers halfway up. He scanned the rest of the crowd, wondering if Laura was there. She’d probably offer to sit with him if she saw him. When he didn’t see her, he looked back at the basketball court.

Derek scored a two-pointer, grinning wide. Excitement rushed through Stiles at that, happy for Derek. He watched as Derek looked to the far end of the gym bleachers. Derek’s smile turned soft for a moment before one of the guys on his team slapped him on the back. Derek took off, jogging to keep up with the play.

The Cyclones won, and Derek scored two more times before the end of the game. Derek had noticed Stiles in the stands and gave him a quick wave during the middle of the third period.

On the bike ride home, Stiles pumped his legs hard and thought about how long it would be until he got to be in high school. 

 

 

Stiles sat on the foot of his mom’s hospital bed and watched her sleep. She was frowning, eyebrows turned down. When his dad’s radio crackled to life, she flinched but didn’t wake up. He stepped out just as Stiles heard the code “ _904_.” Stiles went back to picking at a loose string in his mom’s blanket.

“Stiles,” his dad spoke quietly when he stuck his head back in the room, “do you know if Laura Hale is here tonight?”

He’d mentioned to his dad he’d been hanging out with her around the hospital sometimes. He never asked about her though, and Stiles’ stomach dropped at the question now.

“She said she was going to yesterday.” He sat up straighter. “Dad, what’s going on?”

His dad’s face was grim. “Nothing you need to worry about. Stay here with your mom, okay? I need take care of some stuff for work.”

Thirty minutes later, Stiles was walking back from getting a soda when he heard two of the nurses talking in hushed tones about a fire at the Hale house.

Laura never came back to the hospital. Derek disappeared with her.

 

* * *

 

Stiles watches, cheeks feeling a little warm, as Derek stalks away. He’s the last person Stiles would have expected to see right now. It’s  like seeing a ghost.

Stiles turns to Scott, smacking him on the shoulder.  “Dude, that was Derek Hale.” Scott obviously doesn’t know what he is talking about. “You remember, right? He's only like a few years older than us.”

“Remember what?” Scott shrugs.

Wetting his lips, Stiles explains quickly. “His family. They all burned to death in a fire, like, ten years ago.” He frowns and looks over to where Derek had disappeared further into woods.

Does he remember Stiles?

Recognition hits Scott. He says, ”I wonder what he's doing back.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Come hang out with me on Tumblr](http://the-redcrate.tumblr.com).
> 
> Title from Stiles' dialogue in _Wolf Moon_ , which is also quoted in this fic.


End file.
